Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To swing back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm.
- intransitive verb To waver, as between conflicting opinions or courses of action; vacillate: synonym: swing.
- intransitive verb Physics To vary between alternate extremes, usually within a definable period of time.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To swing; move backward and forward; vibrate, as a pendulum.
- Hence To vary or fluctuate; waver.
- Synonyms Vacillate, Waver, etc. See
fluctuate . - To cause to swing or move backward and forward; cause to vibrate or swing to and fro.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To move backward and forward; to vibrate like a pendulum; to swing; to sway.
- intransitive verb To vary or fluctuate between fixed limits; to act or move in a fickle or fluctuating manner; to change repeatedly, back and forth.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb intransitive To
swing back andforth , especially if with aregular rhythm . - verb intransitive To
vacillate betweenconflicting opinions , etc. - verb intransitive To vary above and below a
mean value .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
- verb move or swing from side to side regularly
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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She was, however, uneasy when she heard the strange whistling sound produced by their irregular passage through the dark night air, and when the violence of their movements made the basin oscillate, she lay down tremblingly at the bottom of her golden basin, and then carefully gathered her garments around her, lest they should come in contact with the dark man.
The Princess Ilsée: A Fairy Tale Anonymous 1867
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The only place to spot them is in a vacuum, where they should sometimes "oscillate" into normal photons.
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The only place to spot them is in a vacuum, where they should sometimes "oscillate" into normal photons.
Signs of the Times 2009
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With HFOV, the lungs are continuously inflated and "oscillate" at a very high rate (600 to
PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010
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RS: We oscillate between doing narratives that are very linear, and that often traps you in a certain way, so often times, we make a story that you have to read more...
Kiša Lala: Mythographers: Recalling The Future, Foretelling The Past Kiša Lala 2011
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RS: We oscillate between doing narratives that are very linear, and that often traps you in a certain way, so often times, we make a story that you have to read more...
Kiša Lala: Mythographers: Recalling The Future, Foretelling The Past Kiša Lala 2011
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Print newspapers, because of their structure, catchment areas and sheer physicality, don't oscillate wildly from month to month or year to year.
Facebook fatigue suggests internet is a web of impermanent dreams 2011
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Not only could you control the water temperature, but also the angle of the spray, as well as making it oscillate or pulse.
Glowing, if Roughed Up Ralph Gardner Jr. 2011
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Print newspapers, because of their structure, catchment areas and sheer physicality, don't oscillate wildly from month to month or year to year.
Facebook fatigue suggests internet is a web of impermanent dreams 2011
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I oscillate between shame, self forgiveness and anger with the world at large.
sera commented on the word oscillate
to oscillate is to move laterally
August 13, 2007
bilby commented on the word oscillate
Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas!
October 18, 2008
14ShimAlissa commented on the word oscillate
my unorthodox personality oscillates au jour le jour
July 5, 2011